Beverage case



1 C. R. EARP Aug. 22, 1967 BEVERAGE CASE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 24, 1965 INVENTOR. CHARLES R. EARP yaw M 3M {MM Ala o me 8 Aug. 22, 1967 c. R. EARP 3,337,081

BEVERAGE CASE Filed March 24, 1965 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

CHARLES F2. EIA P w 4H BY f W z/wwwgmd/ 4Horne s United States Patent 3,337,081 BEVERAGE CASE Charles R. Earp, Edinburg, Ind., assignor to Amos- Thompson Corporation, Edinburg, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Filed Mar. 24, 1965, Ser. No. 442,394 3 Claims. (Cl. 220-21) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A molded beverage case having intersecting planar elements extending upwardly from the inner face of the base of the case which act as bottle separating members, the intersecting planar elements having certain of their free edges undercut to accommodate portions of the bottles in the case and thereby permit lifting of the case by grasping the bottles.

This invention relates generally to cases for bottled beverages and in particular an improved form of molded case molded from, for example, high impact strength polyethylene, styrene or the like.

Molded beverage cases have many advantages over conventional wooden cases. These advantages are pointed out in US. Patent 3,106,308, assigned to the assignee of the present invention. The structure there disclosed utilizes bosses, extending upwardly from the inner face of the case base wall, which serve to separate or space the bottles from each other. The structure of the present in vention is somewhat similar to that of the above identified patent, however, certain improvements, particularly in the configuration of certain of the bottle separating means, provide features not present in the structure of the patent.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a molded beverage case structure which can be conveniently lifted, either manually or by automatic machinery, by grasping the upper ends of certain of the bottles carried by the case.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a molded beverage case structure having bottle dividers therein, certain of which are adapted to engage adjacent bottles, preventing their withdrawal from the case, when forces in predetermined directions are applied to the bottles.

These and other objects will become apparent as the description proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the body portion of a beverage case embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view taken generally along the line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, side sectional view taken generally along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1. 7

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, side sectional view taken generally along the line 4-4 of FIG. 1..

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, top plan view of a top plate or lid for the case body of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, side view of the structure shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary, side sectional view taken generally along line 77 of FIG. 5.

Referring initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, a case embodying the present invention is shown generally at 10. As may best be seen in FIG. 1, the case is composed of a body, generally rectangular in configuration, having an open upper face and integral base wall 11, side walls 12 and end walls 13. The side walls and end Walls have their central portions 12a and 13a inset with relation to the corners or junctional areas of the side walls and end walls. As may best be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the upper marginal areas of each of the side and end walls are flanged outwardly and upwardly adjacent the inset central portions, the outwardly flanged portion being identified at 16 and the upwardly flanged portion providing the rim bead 17. The outwardly flanged portion is provided with spaced slots 18 which accommodate members formed on the top plate to be subsequently described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

The inset portions of the end walls 13 are provided with hand grip apertures 19 (FIG. 2) and adjacent the end margins of the hand grip apertures the body end walls have integrally molded therein generally triangular flanges 21 (FIG. 2). The flanges 21 define a central portion of the outwardly flanged portion of the end walls and this central portion is formed as indicated at 22 in FIG. 2. This central portion of the flanged area is formed so as to extend downwardly away from the adjacent shelf area 16 to provide a hand grip abutment at the upper margins of the hand grip apertures 19.

As will be evident from FIGS. 1 and 2, the base wall 11 of the case body is provided with elongated or elliptically shaped indentations or concavities, indicated at 21 (FIG. 2), which appear as raised portions 21a at the upper face of the base 11 as viewed in FIG. 1.. These elliptical concavities function to provide stability for the structure in stacking as disclosed and claimed in detail in my copending patent application Ser. No. 442,393, filed Mar. 24, 1965, and titled, Bottled Beverage Case. The base 11 of the case body is also provided with drainage apertures 22 and 23 distributed over the base. Extending upwardly from the inner face of the base 11 are frusto-conical bosses 24 which, together with the ribs 26, serve to support beverage bottles placed in the case as will be clearly apparent from FIG. 3.

Uniformly distributed over the base wall 11 of the case are bottle separating members, indicated generally at 31. The separating members are formed, in each case, by two planar elements 31a and 31b which intersect at right angles as will be evident from FIG. 1. The bottle separating members 31 are relatively rigid and the free side edges 32 of the elements 31a and 31b are adapted to engage the bottles within the case as will be evident from FIG. 3.

The outer row of bottle separating members 31, at each end of the case body, have their side edges closest to the case end walls 13 undercut as indicated at 33 in FIG. 3. An aperture 34 in the base wall 11, adjacent the undercut 33, accommodates the core (used in molding the case) which delineates the undercut.

As will be evident from FIG. 3, when the bottles in the outer row of bottles in the case are in free position as indicate-d by the solid line 36 in FIG. 3 and the broken line 37 in FIG. 1, the bottles will be maintained in spaced relation within the case. Base and convenience in lifting the case for transport or stacking either manually or by automatic equipment, is highly desirable. The undercuts 33- on the planar element ends nearest to the case end walls permits the case, when loaded with bottles to be lifted by grasping one or more of the bottles in these ou-ter rows. Thus, when the case is to be lifted one or more bottles in the row adjacent the left-hand end of the case and one or more bottles adjacent the righthand end of the case may be grasped at their upper bottles, they will stay in engagement with the undercuts and by exerting an upward force on the bottles the whole case may be lifted. The ease and convenience in lifting the bottle cases, brought about by the engagement of the bottles with the undercuts 33, is highly important in the rapid, mass handling of pieces of bottles, either by machinery or manually, in the high volume operation modernly required for the profitable processing and handling of bottled beverages.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 4, it will be noted that centrally within the case a tubular member 41 extends upwardly from the case base wall 11, as will be evident from FIG. 4, the tip of the member 41 is cut away as indicated at 42. This central member 41 is adapted to cooperate with a top plate or lid, indicated generally at 43 in FIG. 5, now to be described in further detail with particular reference to FIGS. 5, 6 and 7.

The top plate 43 is generally rectangular in configuration and sized to be accommodated upon the outwardly flanged portions 16 of the case body 10. Integral abutments 44 depend from the side margins of the top plate and are formed so as to snap into the apertures 18 along the upper margin of the case body 10. The top plate is provided with bottle accommodating apertures 46. As may best be seen from FIG. 7, at the center of the top plate, there is a depending integral bracket 47 having a sidewardly extending portion 47a. This sidewar'dly extending portion is adapted to fit within the cutaway portion 42 of the member 40 extending from the center of the base wall 11 of the case body. This interlocking of the member 47 and the member 41 provides a central fastening for the top plate to the case body. To install the top plate 43 upon the case body, the slightly resilient top plate 43 is bowed slightly at its center and the member 47 is hooked into the member 41. The ends of the top plate 43 are then lowered and flattened against the upper margin of the case body with the abutments 44 snapping into the apertures 18.

While the invention has been disclosed and described in some detail in the drawings and foregoing description, they are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, as other modifications may readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art .and within the broad scope of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. A bottle case of the molded plastic type adapted to accommodate bottles whose sides are outwardly inclined adjacent their base, said case comprising a rectangular body having an open upper face and an integral base wall, side walls and end walls, a plurality of bosses extending upwardly from the inner face of said base wall for supporting bottles placed in the case, bottle separating members extending upwardly from the inner face of said base wall, said separating members taking the form of two planar elements intersecting at right angles with their free side edges adapted to engage bottles within the case, the side edges of the planar elements closest to the case end walls being undercut, whereby when an upward and outward force is exerted on the bottles adjacent said case end walls the inclined sides of the bottles enter the said undercuts in the adjacent planar elements to permit lifting of the case by the upward force applied to said end wall adjacent bottles.

2. A bottle case of the molded plastic type adapted to accommodate bottles whose sides are outwardly inclined adjacent their base, said case comprising a rectangular body having an open upper face and an integral base wall, side walls and end walls, a plurality of bosses extending upwardly from the inner face of said base wall for supporting bottles placed in the case, bottle separating members extending upwardly from the inner face of said base wall, said separating members taking the form of two intersecting planar elements having their free side edges adapted to engage bottles within the case, the side edges of the planar elements closest to the case end walls being undercut, whereby when an upward and outward force is exerted on the bottles adjacent said case end walls the inclined sides of the bottles enter the said undercuts in the adjacent planar elements to permit lifting of the case by the upward force applied to said end wall adjacent bottles.

3. A bottle case of the molded plastic type comprising a rectangular body having an open upper face and an integral base wall, side walls and end walls, a plurality of bosses extending upwardly from the inner face of said base wall for supporting bottles placed in the case, bottle separating members extending upwardly from the inner face of said base wall, said separating members taking the form of two intersecting planar elements having their free side edges adapted to engage bottles within the case, the side edges of the planar elements closest to the case end walls being undercut, whereby when an upward and outward force is exerted on the bottles adjacent said case end walls the lower end portions of the bottles enter the said undercuts in the adjacent planar elements to permit lifting of the case by the upward force applied to said end wall adjacent bottles.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,106,308 10/ 1963 Kazimier 220-21 3,261,495 7/1966 Beesley et al. 22021 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

G. T. HALL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A BOTTLE CASE OF THE MOLDED PLASTIC TYPE ADPATED TO ACCOMMODATE BOTTLES WHOSE SIDES ARE OUTWARDLY INCLINED ADJACENT THEIR BASE, SAID CASE COMPRISING A RECTANGULAR BODY HAVING AN OPEN UPPER FACE AND AN INTEGRAL BASE WALL, SIDE WALLS AND END WALLS, A PLURALITY OF BOSSES EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM THE INNER FACE OF SAID BASE WALL FOR SUPPORTING BOTTLES PLACED IN THE CASE, BOTTLE SEPARATING MEMBERS EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM THE INNER FACE OF SAID BASE WALL, SAID SEPARATING MEMBERS TAKING THE FORM OF TWO PLANAR ELEMENTS INTESECTING AT RIGHT ANGLES WITH THEIR FREE SIDE EDGES ADAPTED TO ENGAGE BOTTLES WITHIN THE CASE, THE SIDE EDGES OF THE PLANAR ELEMENTS CLOSEST TO THE CASE END WALLS BEING UNDERCUT, WHEREBY WHEN AN UPWARD AND OUTWARD FROCE IS EXERTED ON THE BOTTLES ADJACENT SAID CASE END WALLS THE INCLINED SIDES OF THE BOTTLES ENTER THE SAID UNDERCUTS IN THE ADJACENT PLANAR ELEMENTS TO PERMIT LIFTING OF THE CASE BY THE UPWARD FORCE APPLIED TO SAID END WALL ADJACENT BOTTLES. 